The Certain Dri Difference

With so many over-the-counter (OTC) antiperspirants available for those seeking relief from excessive sweating, it can be hard to choose the right one. So, how do you know which “clinical strength” really means it?

Products labeled “clinical strength” contain various aluminum active ingredients at various percentages which can be confusing… as all active ingredients are not the same, and a higher percentage does not necessarily equal a more effective solution. Which aluminum complex is better? What percentage is right? The answer and how each will work for you depends on how much sweat control you need.

Certain Dri offers 3 levels of protection for people with excessive sweating:

Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical - Roll-On: This antiperspirant is the strongest in the Certain Dri line with 12% Aluminum Chloride, and is the most effective antiperspirant you can buy without a prescription. Aluminum Chloride is the strongest and most effective active ingredient available in antiperspirants and is the same active ingredient in many prescription formulations. Aluminum Chloride is the #1 doctor recommended active ingredient for excessive sweating**. Because of the strength of this active ingredient, it is only available in roll-on form.

Certain Dri Extra Strength Clinical - Solid: This antiperspirant has 25% Aluminum Sesquichlorohydrate, which has been shown to provide long-lasting wetness protection for people with excessive sweating who may require a product that is more gentle on sensitive skin than other active ingredients. This formulation has been clinically shown to provide wetness protection for multiple days and is available in solid form.

Certain Dri Everyday Strength Clinical: This antiperspirant + deodorant has 20% Aluminum Zirconium Complex, which is the same active ingredient found in most other clinical antiperspirants on the shelf. This active ingredient has been shown to provide all day protection for many people who seek an effective clinical antiperspirant with added deodorant protection. This formulation is available in both solid and roll-on form.

More about Aluminum Chloride

Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical Roll-On is unique in that it contains the strongest, most effective active ingredient – aluminum chloride, the #1 doctor recommended ingredient. This is also the active ingredient that is found in many prescription antiperspirants. This Certain Dri formulation is water-based instead of alcohol-based, so it’s gentler on your skin than prescription antiperspirants.

Aluminum chloride works differently than other aluminum compounds. It penetrates to a deeper level of the sweat gland to stop sweat where it starts. Aluminum chloride molecules are smaller and fill the sweat duct more effectively than larger aluminum compounds. This means that the active ingredient in Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical Roll-On will help prevent perspiration more effectively, and won’t wash off in the shower.

The pink circles below represent the molecules in other clinical antiperspirants as they enter a sweat gland in your underarm.

Most clinical OTC (over-the-counter) antiperspirant brands use Aluminum Zirconium Complex (15-20%) as their active ingredient. This antiperspirant ingredient contains larger molecules that sweat “grabs” and pulls them into the sweat duct to form a plug.

Certain Dri® Prescription Strength Clinical Roll-On, represented by the green circles, stops sweat on a deeper level by using Aluminum Chloride, an ingredient with smaller molecules, which is more effective in getting into the pore and reducing sweat on a deeper level.

If you’re looking for real “clinical strength” antiperspirant options that can help you with excessive underarm sweating, try Certain Dri®, the #1 doctor recommended brand.

Source: Aluminum Chloride – smallest molecule support

AlCl₃ is a simple inorganic salt compound, while aluminum chlorohydrate and other antiperspirant actives are best described as inorganic polymers that form relatively large poly-aluminum complexes based on repeating Al-13 units.

Size exclusion chromatography, such as HPLC, separates and characterizes materials on the basis of molecular size. With this techniques, the larger molecules pass through the column faster, while the smaller molecules come out slower. Tests clearly illustrate that AlCl₃ is smaller.

By using the molecular formula for AlCl3, and the empirical formulas for ACH of Al₂(OH)₅Cl and a typical AZG-tetra salt of ZrAl₂Cl₃.₃₁(OH)₆.₆₉, the molecular weights can be computed as 133.34, 174.45, and 370.59 gm/mole respectively.

Aluminum chloride is the smallest molecule based on basic chemistry considerations, being applied to antiperspirant actives.